Daily Number

$2.6 million

December 7, 2010

The cumulative spending in the three state legislative districts that held special elections this year was $2.6 million.

The biggest-spending district was the 14th, where Linda Greenstein (D-Mercer) outspent her Republican opponent Thomas Goodwin, $1.133 million to $596,000. Greenstein, a former assemblywoman from Plainsboro, had already bested Goodwin in an earlier assembly race. But Goodwin was appointed by Gov. Chris Christie to replace Bill Baroni, who resigned early this year to take the job of deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Democratic state Senator Donald Norcross, of Camden County, was almost equally well-armed in his contest with Republican Harry Trout in the 5th District earlier this year. Norcross, the brother of South Jersey powerbroker George Norcross, spent $568,907 on his win, while Trout spent less than $4,000.

Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell (D-Hudson) spent $123,717 to beat rival Joseph Turula in a special election
in the 31st district. Turula also spent less than $4,000 in his unsuccessful battle against the Bayonne assemblyman.